The Henry Holland, Marylebone

In the six years that I have live in London, I have never experienced such shocking customer service than I did in this bar. I popped in on Saturday to check on the rugby score whilst a friend was having a goodbye party at the nearby Moose bar. I had been in the bar for two minutes when a man tapped me on the shoulder and in a very poorly communicated way asked if I was buying a beer (I actually thought he was offering me one). I proceeded to tell him that I was fine and did not want one right now. Thereafter he immediately got very confrontational and insisted that I leave the bar straight away. I expressed my irritation and gave him some advice on customer service which was definitely not his forte. If he had approached this in a different manner then this whole situation could have been avoided. I would happily have bought a beer during the brief time that I was in the bar. That being said, I have never in my time in the UK been forced to buy a beer whilst I was in a pub with friends who were also drinking. What if I had been Muslim or had a drinking problem. This pub owner has a lot to learn about customer service and it was clear towards the end of the night that his business was suffering as the bar was empty whilst other pubs were bustling with happy drinkers. My advice is avoid the pub at all costs. In a city where there is a pub on every corner, your pounds are better spent by walking a little but further past this terribly managed establishment.

16 Oct 2007 09:16